Heavenly Hounds at St. Agnes Medical Center providing comfort and care

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- When Franco the Great Dane comes to St. Agnes Medical Center, helium makes definite to don his Batman cape.

"I ever archer radical he's Batman astatine work, but he's Darth Vader astatine home," said Gina Paul, Franco's handler and a unpaid with the Heavenly Hounds Program. "He's precise active. He loves a ball. He thinks he's a vertebrate dog. He loves to look retired the windows, looking for pigeons connected the ledge."

When the cape is connected and the badge is clipped, Franco is acceptable to get to work, bringing smiles connected the faces of some patients and infirmary workers.

"We conscionable emotion walking down the halls and making radical happy," said Paul.

Franco is 1 of 12 Heavenly Hounds astatine St. Agnes Medical Center. Paul has been volunteering with the programme for astir 10 years.

Franco, on with the different therapy dogs, helps boost morale astir the hospital.

Brandon Miller is the Volunteer Services Manager and oversees the program.

"If they're having a unsmooth day, sometimes conscionable 1 of the Heavenly Hounds coming by, for them to interact with tin alteration their time and marque it positive," said Miller.

The Heavenly Hounds programme started astatine St. Agnes backmost successful 2007 aft the infirmary saw the need. Therapy dogs tin assistance a person's intelligence well-being.

"Patients who are going into surgery, it's a large accent alleviation for them," said Paul. "It takes their caput disconnected 'I'm astir to person country oregon a procedure.'"

Anyone, from infirmary unit to patients, tin petition a Heavenly Hound.

"I cognize successful our Emergency Room department, sometimes things tin get truly stressful there," said Miller. "They are 1 of the predominant requesters of Heavenly Hounds."

Before the pandemic, determination were much dogs successful the Heavenly Hounds program, with the radical present moving to turn their numbers and invited much furry friends.

"If you deliberation your canine tin enactment successful public, delight get them out," said Paul, "Get them socialized and get them tested."

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